This invention relates generally to the production of maize, commonly known in the United States as corn, and more particularly concerns the development and production of inbred and hybrid maize with certain desired characteristics.
Commercial hybrid maize generally grows from about 7 to 9 feet tall with each plant having either one or two ears. The ear normally grows about one-third the way up the plant or about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 feet from the ground. Consequently, the maize plant, while providing a large ear, has a substantial leaf and stalk structure and a considerable mechanical stability problem in that the heavy ear is about 3 feet from the ground with 6 feet of stalk and the tassels extend above the stalk above that. In the past, efforts have been made to develop strong stalk and branching of secondary roots in maize to help alleviate this stability problem. While these efforts have improved the mechanical stability of maize considerably, heavy wind storms and rain can still wreak havoc in a field of maize.
While great gains have been made in the use of hybrid maize in productivity and yield per acre, over that of open-pollinated maize varieties, further major and immediate substantial gains are always desirable. Consequently, efforts must be directed to improving the characteristics of the commercial hybrid maize plant by genetic or environmental manipulation.
Hence, one of the objects of this invention is to significantly increase the yield per acre of maize. For example, in the Apr. 17, 1974 edition of The Wall Street Journal, the article entitled, "In Search of Superbean," it was pointed out that soybeans could not easily be hybridized and, therefore, fell far behind corn in productivity increase. During the period of 1950 to 1973, soybeans increased in productivity from 21.8 to 27.8 bushels per acre while corn increased from 38.4 to 91.4 bushels per acre.
Other advantageous characteristics can also be sought by the methods of plant breeding and genetic manipulation. For example, excellent plant seedling vigor is advantageous as are early stand, stalk strength and low harvest moisture characteristics. The present invention provides a novel corn hybrid with all of these advantages and other advantageous characteristics as well.